Panthers earned 360 points in the poll

Bushnell Golfweek has released its Division II Preseason Coaches Poll and the Florida Tech men’s golf team comes in at No. 5 in the first ranking of 2018-19. (Florida Tech image)

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Bushnell Golfweek has released its Division II Preseason Coaches Poll and the Florida Tech men’s golf team comes in at No. 5 in the first ranking of 2018-19.

The Panthers earned 360 points in the poll. Last season’s national runner-up, West Florida, is the preseason favorite with 438 points and eight first place votes, while defending national champion Lynn is second with 432 points and six first place votes.

Sunshine State Conference programs also took up third-through-sixth in the ranking. Barry is third with 415 points and three first place votes, while No. 4 Florida Southern earned one first place vote and 403 points. Florida Tech is fifth, followed by Nova Southeastern in sixth with 331 points.

Other SSC members in the preseason poll are Saint Leo in ninth and Rollins in 14th.

The men’s golf team is coming off the best season in program history. The Panthers won their first SSC Championship last season. Florida Tech totaled a 19-under par 833 (278-287-268) at the league tournament, besting defending SSC Champion, No. 2 ranked Florida Southern by four strokes. The 19-under par team score tied a school record and the SSC tournament record.

In addition, the final round score of 16-under (268) stands as the greatest team single round score in SSC tournament history and program history and was the lowest round produced by any NCAA Division II men’s golf team during the 2017-18 season.

Florida Tech made it to the NCAA South Super Regional Championship again last year, and missed out on advancing to their second straight NCAA National Championship by just two strokes.

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